With development of a digital home network, a consumer may form various smart devices, wireless devices, personal computers (PCs), and the like into a peer to peer (P2P) network using the universal plug and play (UPnP) protocol. Basic components of an UPnP network includes a control point (CP) and a device. In a P2P home network supporting UPnP, a user may invoke a control action related to an UPnP device using the CP to read status information of the UPnP device in the home network and control the UPnP device to perform a corresponding operation. For example, when a mobile phone or another mobile device is used to control a PC to watch television, the mobile phone or the other mobile device is the CP, and the PC is the device. In the UPnP network, a device may have both a function of the device and a function of the CP, that is, the device may serve as an UPnP device to provide a service, or may also serve as a CP to discover and control another device.
To implement media content sharing between various devices in a home, the UPnP forum establishes an audio and video (AV) standard. The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) refers to the UPnP AV standard and defines related device types.
For an example, a digital media server (DMS) is configured to acquire, record, store, and output a media file. The DMS may further include another intelligent function, for example, device/user service management, rich user interfaces, and media management, collection, and distribution functions. An example of the DMS includes an advanced set-top box (STB), a home television theater with a hard disk, a multimedia mobile phone, and the like.
A digital media play device is configured to play a media resource from the DMS or a network side, and includes a digital media player (DMP) and a digital media renderer (DMR). The DMR or DMP may also be collectively referred to as an XDMR. An example of the DMP includes a television, a stereo and home television theater, a personal digital assistant, a multimedia mobile phone, a wireless display, a game console, and the like. An example of the DMR includes a television, an audio and video receiver, a video display, a wireless music speaker, and the like.
A digital media controller (DMC) is configured to search for a multimedia file on the DMS, instruct the XDMR to play a multimedia file, and control upload of a multimedia file to the DMS. An example of the DMC includes an intelligent remote control, and a multimedia mobile phone may also include a DMC function.
The foregoing devices specified in the DLNA may use a home network media content distribution technology such as dynamic adaptive streaming over hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) (DASH) to implement media content sharing in the home network. For example, a DMS that has a DASH function may perform DASH processing on media content. DASH processing includes using the media content to generate multiple backups with different bit rates, cutting each backup into slices of 3 to 5 seconds even a shorter time interval, and generating a media presentation description (MPD) file for the media content. A bit rate may be 200 kilobits per second (Kbps), 400 Kbps, 2 megabits per second (Mbps), and the like. The MPD file includes information about each slice, for example, a time range, a uniform resource locator (URL), and a media property. The media property includes a video resolution, an adaptation bit rate, and the like. When playing media content, a play device always selects a slice with a currently highest bit rate, thereby preventing frame freezing and buffer. The currently highest bit rate refers to a highest bit rate supported by the home network. For specific content of DASH, refer to the international standard Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)-DASH.
It may be learned from the foregoing that, because multiple backups respectively corresponding to different bit rates need to be generated for each piece of media content, an existing sharing technology imposes a high requirement on a processing capability (for example, a processing speed and storage space) of a DASH device, which increases costs of a device. Higher picture quality or sound quality of media content imposes a higher requirement on a device, which causes higher device costs.